


Kindness Stands in Good Stead

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Gen, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, seriously
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-24 00:09:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7485645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo Baggins, though an adventurer in his youth, never had much cause to be rude or unkind. It is this very kindness that changes just enough of Fate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Peaceful Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A rogue idea I've been playing with since my Innocent Kisses snippets but never quite let go. Guess now's the time to do so? 
> 
> I mentioned it in the tags but this will be AU AF. 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Bilbo Baggins, at the tender age of twenty-three, came upon the sight of crows picking at a defenseless animal. He shooed them away with his walking stick and gasped at the sight they revealed. The animal was emaciated, blood coating nearly every inch of black fur that he could see and still _breathing_. It whined softly as it opened an eye. Brilliant crimson looked up at Bilbo in fear and the only thing Bilbo did was cry. 

"Who could have done this to you? Oh you poor thing," Bilbo patted the only section of fur that wasn't coated in blood, knowing in his heart that the beast would never attack an innocent. It shoved it's face against his hand eagerly as any animal in the Shire. That was when Bilbo knew he had to bring it home. 

He dashed away his tears and took off his cloak, making a pallet with two sturdy branches and his walking stick as the support lashed with twine. It was slow-going getting the creature out of the tricky vines but he managed with his short wittling knife and sheer determination. 

"There now, you'll be the talk of the Shire but no one would hit you or try to hurt you here. Big Folk are awfully cruel sometimes." He continued in a soft voice as the beast lolled it's great head over the stick to lick at Bilbo's scratched hands. "And sometimes beasts are kind where they are not." 

The crimson gaze closed and the animal sighed softly as Bilbo started his long way back to the Shire.

* * *

The beast could stand, Bilbo and his mother found. It teetered and swayed but stood firmly enough on it's— _his_ —feet after a water bath and a decent meal of pork in his belly. He stubbornly made his way to Bilbo's chair and settled near his feet, looking up with both of the enchanting crimson eyes as though waiting for Bilbo to speak more. 

"I think he's your beast, darling. Yours and no-one else's," Bilbo's mother offered wryly. "He'll tell you his name in good time." 

"Well, he ought to be called something." Bilbo sighed as he stroked down the glossy black fur. The beast rumbled softly, eyes half-closing with the pleasure. The blood had mostly been tiny breaks in the skin from the crows pecking at him. The soap would come later when the small cuts had healed. "Would you accept a cloth around your neck?" 

The beast cracked open his eyes again and treaded carefully over to the quilt scrap pile, gently closing his teeth around a long strip of deep red fabric. When he brought it over to Bilbo to inspect, he lolled his tongue out of a mouth full of very sharp teeth. 

"That old thing? I found it years ago and never could figure out a use for it." His mother hummed. "He'll be the prettiest beast in the Shire for sure." 

Bilbo's beast accepted the cloth easily and settled down again to rest. Bilbo would be heading off to bed soon himself as the day had been quite exciting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	2. A Rose By Any Other Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, there's an audience~ *waves* 
> 
> Here you go, more fic. 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Bilbo woke to the sight of the beast sleeping curled up on the bed next to his feet. He raised his great head and cocked it to the side, the crimson gaze soft and peaceful. 

"You'll tell me your name, I suppose, when you're good and ready and not a moment sooner." Bilbo murmured as he folded his feet under himself to pet the beast. 

The beast woofed softly and mouthed at Bilbo's hand. 

"What?" 

The mouthing became a little more insistent. 

"Oh alright. Bathroom it is." The beast led him outside and up onto the grassy knoll that made the roof of thier home. The gouges made in the rich dark earth looked familar enough that Bilbo could read them. "'Galian'? Is that your name?" The beast woofed again and wagged the luxurious tail excitedly. "Well, Galian, have you gone to the bathroom?" 

Galian lolled out his tongue and loped off towards the woods. He was back in less than ten minutes, mud stuck on his enormous front paws. 

"Oh my. I suppose we'll have to leave a cloth to clean you off on especially muddy days, hmm?" Bilbo chuckled as Galian nosed against his leg, pushing him down to the door where there's—Oh. Good mushrooms and truffles that only grow in the forest are piled in front of the door. "What a _good_ boy you are! Mother will be very happy to see these." 

Galian waited patiently in the foyer as Bilbo wetted a cloth and wiped his feet clean. His claws clicked against the floor but other than that Galian was surprisingly quiet. He sat when Bilbo motioned that he should, laying down as Bilbo started breakfast for his Mother and Father. The aroma of mushrooms permeated the smial and brought his parents out in their dressing gowns. 

"Oh!" Bilbo's Father, Bungo, was surprised by Galian but patted the beast anyway. He was so used to Bilbo rescuing everything under the sun that a new animal was a common sight. "When did this one show up?" 

"Yesterday. Bilbo rescued the poor creature from pecking crows. Have you found a name for him?" Mother asked him, her smaller fingers combing through Galian's thick fur. 

"Galian. He's very smart. You have him to thank for the mushrooms and good truffles. He dug them up this morning." Bilbo proudly admitted as he reached down to scratch behind Galian's perky ears. "Certainly one of my more useful rescues, I think." He set down a bowl of scrambled eggs and cured ham for Galian. The beast looked up and then back at the bowl. "That's yours. Eat up and regain your strength." 

Galian ate in careful bites, nosing the bowl away when it was empty. 

"Smart enough to know that what you gave him will fill his stomach without hurting him." Bilbo's Father murmured. "Take him with you when you go adventuring, Bilbo." 

"I will." 

Galian recovered by leaps and bounds until he was an appropriate weight for his size. 

True to Bilbo's word, they gossiped like there was no tommorrow but no one struck him. The fauntlings were fascinated with the gentle giant; Bilbo often found Galian surrounded by sleeping fauntlings under the Party Tree after his beast failed to come home one evening. 

"So you've turned into a fauntling-sitter, have you?" He teased Galian as the beast's tail beat a fairly even tempo at the sight of him. 

Galian huffed but there was a softness to him that he displayed with the Baggins family and no one else. The beast gently scooped up a fauntling by their jacket, looking to Bilbo to collect the remaining three. He settled one onto Galian's back and took the other two, carrying one on each hip. 

Their parents thanked Bilbo and Galian, offering a meat pie in exchange for Galian's watchful eye. 

"I was right to scoop you out of those vines," Bilbo commented as Galian shortened his strides to match Bilbo's more meandering pace. "You're wonderfully patient, you bring back things that everyone is fond of and you also watch over the little ones." 

Galian lolled out his rose-colored tongue, happiness suffusing the beast's expression. 

"One of these days you'll leave. You couldn't possibly be happy here in the Shire." He sighed and looked down at where Galian was pressed against his leg. "No?" 

A quiet boof was his answer. 

"Then here you'll stay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	3. The Fell Winter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figured I'd post while waiting for my hot glue to dry. Bit of a sad chapter.

* * *

**-The Fell Winter-**

Galian saved them all. 

He hunted for miles and fought off the howling wolves, coming back a few days later with enormous prey that often left him injured. Galian broke the frozen river and pulled up fish for stew that stretched days; not to mention that he brought down predatory birds that were circling smials with small fauntlings. 

By the time Spring came Galian was the proud owner of several new scars. He bore them as well as he did the affection lavished on him, stoically and with half-closed eyes as he healed. 

Men came down with food but found themselves astonished that the beast that'd once traveled through Bree was an accepted presence here.

"That is a Dark Beast," one of the Men muttered as he passed out cured meats and cheeses. 

"Galian? He belongs to the Baggins family. He saved us." The Took who received the food cheerfully informed him. "Broke through the river, brought each of us a fish that stretched our food supplies. We lost some folks, sure, but it would've been real bad without him." 

"It... He hunted?" The Man blinked at that, taken aback at the information. 

"For everyone," Bilbo hummed as he picked up the Baggins share. "Galian could have left after the first heavy snows." 

"But he stayed..." 

"We're thankful he showed up when he did." A Proudfoot replied as she herded her fauntlings before her. "Filled our pot with meat when we thought we were done for." 

"I see." The pained expression on his face meant he'd likely had something to do with the fact that Galian had been found by Bilbo. It was enough to see him squirm under the weight of nearly all of Hobbiton's disapproving gaze. 

Galian, from his spot amidst the fauntlings, seemed equally pleased.

* * *

Though many families had suffered loss Bilbo and his Mother had lost his Father. Even with Galian's efforts, some were simply too ill or weak to make it through that harsh winter. 

It was this death that struck the great beast hardest.

Bungo's funeral was a small and solemn affair. Bilbo, Belladonna and Galian watched as Bungo's body was lowered into his grave. The beast stood vigil for three days and three nights; same as he had for all of the funerals, though with Bilbo's Father, he laid at the head and whined softly. 

Bungo had been fond of slipping Galian a cube of cured meat as they sat on the bench in front of Bag End. Even after the vigil, Galian would visit each grave for a short time. Bungo's was given the most attention. 

Though they all moved on in their own ways, Galian remained watchful over Bilbo most of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect. Feedback is appreciated!


	4. Loss and Joy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Bilbo doesn't deserve the sad but it gets better! 
> 
> Also, I need an... opinion on pairings! Yay or nay on certain pairs or rare pairs counts! 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Bilbo's Mother followed his Father a few years after the Fell Winter. Galian watched over Bilbo as he stayed at home and was aged beyond his years by the deaths of his parents. 

When it became clear that Bilbo insisted on staying in Galian nosed Bilbo to the walking stick and nipped until Bilbo walked the breadth of Hobbiton and the outer Woods. It was there that he cried out his grief, his face buried in Galian's fur in the same clearing he'd found Galian in. 

Galian slowly brought Bilbo back into interacting with the Hobbits around him. He'd chase fauntlings and then tug Bilbo into playing fauntling games with them until he was breathless with laughter. 

He tugged Hamfast Gamgee down the lane more than once to cheer up Bilbo with tales of his gardening and his wife. 

Chasing Lobelia Sackville-Baggins out of Bag End had caused Bilbo no end of amusement, seeing as how Galian had run after her down the road with a great loud bark that he only ever produced around the vile woman. 

Slowly, in fits and starts, Bilbo saw the world as it was again, green and fair and full of life to be yet lived. 

Bilbo wasn't the Bachelor at Bag End but the Caretaker, the Peacemaker and he remained so until the evening of his forty-fifth birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect. Feedback is loved~


	5. Pertinent Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Galian decided he wanted to be more involved, so... POV switch! 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Magic was easy to sense here. It gave off a thick scent and a unique trail that was easily recalled. 

So when a heavy font of it filtered through to Hobbiton, Galian waited on the steps of Bilbo's smial for the Wizard, all five senses on alert including his Magic.

It didn't take much for him to figure out the source, listening to the heavy gossips of the Shire. 

Bilbo's long, slow strokes against his fur left him humming mentally in approval. 

_Why do we not reveal ourselves?_ Hellmasker grumbled even as he too enjoyed the petting. 

**because.**

_Again, why?_

**Alpha said so.** Galian snorted dryly, referring to Chaos and Vincent as combined Alpha. **Busy enough here without adding to the mess to come. Stupid.**

_I... How do you know it's going to be a mess?_

**Just can. Was first Limitbreak after Alpha two.** Galian pointed out. **When is our Caretaker not in trouble?**

Hellmasker went quiet at that, sheepishly scrubbing at his nose in the mental mansion that all of them shared. _You do have a point._

Galian licked at his nose, whined when Bilbo stopped petting. "The Brandybuck lass down in Bree sent word that Gandalf the Grey was on his way here. What do you think of Wizards?" He huffed out a breath and shoved his muzzle back under Bilbo's hand, tongue lolling as Bilbo resumed his petting. "You're smarter than you look, not concerning yourself with such things."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	6. Trouble Indeed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always have fun writing Vincent's Limitbreaks since there's not strict canon on any of them aside from Chaos. 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Galian cocked his head to the side as he heard footsteps that were not Hobbit-light nor Ranger-heavy. He nosed at Bilbo and waited as the person knocked. 

"Who is it?" Bilbo called from the living room. 

"'Tis an old friend, Bilbo Baggins." The voice was amused as it continued. "I used to bring fireworks in your early tweens." 

"Oh, Gandalf!" Bilbo opened the door and the Wizard stepped inside, stooping his great height into the burrow. "Watch your-Oh dear." The grey head bumped the chandlier and Gandalf grunted. 

"I always forget that's there." Sharp blue eyes spotted Galian laying in his bed next to Bilbo's armchair. "Who's this?" 

"You've been gone long enough to miss my rescue of Gailan. He's been a great help since my parents passed into the light of Yavanna." Bilbo murmured wryly as he bustled about getting tea ready. "He's my companion and there is no shortage of his unconditional love." 

"I see." 

"He's intellegent, so don't go thinking he's a dumb beast. Galian saved near a quarter of Hobbiton and the surrounding settlements during the Fell Winter." Bilbo admitted as he cooed at Galian. 

Gandalf offered the flat of his palm, Magic radiating from every square inch of him. Galian snuffled but didn't lick the offered appendage because he wasn't sure about the reaction of his magic and Gandalf's Magic meeting. 

"He carries magic." Gandalf asserted as he settled his hand back at his side.

"No ordinary animal would live past fifteen years without the aid of something." Bilbo shrugged as he steeped his tea and stuffed his pipe with Old Toby. "I had thought it likely." 

"Indeed. Bilbo, I have something of a proposition for you. A party of Dwarves wish to reclaim thier homeland and they need someone with Hobbit feet and a Tookish mindset." 

Bilbo and Galian glanced at the gnarled walking stick Belladonna had left Bilbo years ago. 

"Knowing that you like surprises, Gandalf, I expect they'll be visiting some time soon?" Bilbo's lanced barb struck the Wizard the way it had been intended to; never let it be said that Bilbo could not get right to the heart of the matter. "How many guests?" 

Gandalf blinked, hemmed and hawed before saying, "Thirteen." 

"When will they be coming and, so help me Gandalf, if you say _tomorrow_ I will have Galian pee on you." Bilbo threatened. 

"... The day after?" Gandalf clearly remembered Belladonna's fierce temperament and how she had passed it onto Bilbo. 

"Not suitable but enough time to prepare. Do they eat as much as Hobbits?" Bilbo's wide smile had the Wizard's scent relaxing from tension. 

"No, I do not think any of the Free Peoples have an appetite to match a Hobbit's." Gandalf chuckled softly. 

"Then good. I'll have Galian fetch them the day after tomorrow from wherever they're camped or staying. I'll not have them lost in Hobbiton. It's bad enough that you come and go." Bilbo decided promptly. "Would you like to stay? It is getting late." 

"No, no, I must be making arrangements and telling them that an intellegent beast will come to collect them." Gandalf smiled as he stooped low enough not to hit anything else. 

**See, I told you.** Galian smugly thought at Hellmasker. **Trouble already.**

_You are a terrible gloater, Galian, simply terrible._ Hellmasker groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	7. Quiet Conviction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a surprise or two in the upcoming chapters! 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Galian was sent to collect the company of Dwarves following Bilbo's finished preparations. He loped through Hobbiton and then down to Bree, aiming straight for the secondary Inn of the town called the Eagles of Manwë. Most Bree Hobbits gave him a pat as he passed although a few fauntlings ruffled his ears or tugged at his thick tail. 

Shoving the door open with his paw, Galian's claws clicked on the flag-stone floor while he hunted for the unfamiliar scent of Dwarf. He found them together at a table with Gandalf, discussing things in a low tone of a language Galian didn't understand. 

He sat down and waited patiently for the Wizard to finish before he pawed at the edge of the grey robes. 

"Ah. Your escort is here." Gandalf mentioned and all thirteen turned to face Galian. "Did you want to lead all of them or just in twos or threes? One bark for the first and two for the second." 

Galian barked once, startling most of the still sleepy patrons. 

"I will be joining you all at a later point but follow Galian. Master Baggins places immense trust in the beast," Gandalf asked before assuring them of Galian's validity.

"Beast, hmm? He looks like Mahal's Great Hound." The one with the whitest beard murmured in the Common tongue, labeled Westron here. Galian waited as they filed out of the Eagle Inn and led them through the paths, doubling back often to herd the Dwarven equivalent of pups away from the deeper edge of the Great Forest. 

By the time they arrived at Bag End, Galian's tail wagged at the sight of the green smial's door. He scraped at the door with his paw, careful not to ruin the paint. 

"Galian, there you are. Hello, welcome to Bag End. Please leave your weapons at the door and wipe your... boots on the mat." Bilbo busied himself in wiping off Galian's muddy paws before turning to his guests. "There is plenty of food in my dining room. Please do not break any dishes as they belonged to my Mother, may Yavanna bless her, whom has since passed away." 

The most regal of the Dwarves, the one with a salt-and-pepper beard thick with braids, gave Bilbo an acknowledgement with his nod and waited for Bilbo to lead the way. 

The dinner was rowdier than what Galian and Bilbo expected but slightly more contained than Galian thought possible. These rough Dwarves meant well by doing the dishes and cleaning up to talk properly. 

"Thank you for your food and your thoughtful offer to stay in your home," Thorin (the regal one) murmured quietly after they'd settled down with a little Hobbit ale. "However, we need a thief to help us steal back our home and you do not strike me as such." 

"Hobbits can walk so quietly that if you couldn't see us, you'd never know we were there at all. We can hit birds with a good slingshot from a fair distance and those of us that picked up archery have furthered the talent. You need some to balance your company, make it less of a grim homecoming and more of a reclaiming. My only condition is that I bring Galian. He listens to me and eats from my hand... I do not want to think of what could happen should I leave my beloved beast." Bilbo negotiated calmly. 

"Well-spoken, Master Baggins." Balin quietly inserted. "What do you think of Elves?" 

"We Hobbits like to joke that a Hobbit is only an Elf made small and round. Getting along with them and trading will not be a problem, should you need my services there. I speak a little of their tongue and I know that your... dispute may make it difficult to speak with them." Bilbo added somewhat hesitantly. "Should you not want to hire me, I will be coming along as I want to see the world and my poor Galian needs to stretch his legs on a long trip anyway." 

"We will need to convene and speak." Thorin replied and paused. "It will be decided before we sleep."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	8. Going on An Adventure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, I swear I didn't abandon this! I just got sucker-punched by RL. 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Galian woke to smell a Dwarven pup using him as a pillow. He glanced down to see the dark-haired pup breathing deeply in time with Galian's own breath. The golden pup stood in the doorway, watching him and the other pup. 

He huffed but laid his head back down and stretched himself enough to tempt the other to join them. 

"I'm Fili. This is my brother, Kili, and he's younger than me by a whole candle length." The golden pup—Fili—muttered as he curled around his brother. Kili whined something in the tonal tongue, likely Dwarven, but shuffled so that Fili could hold him properly. "Mama didn't like us coming along. She didn't like the number, didn't like the weather or how eager we were to do this with Uncle Thorin." 

Galian looked at Fili and snorted. 

"I think Mister Baggins might be just what we need." 

He warbled quietly and yawned, pressing his nose into Fili's outstretched hand. 

Bilbo sketched out a brief thumbnail of Galian curled around the twins on a scrap of paper, tucking it into the blank red book on his desk in wee hours before the Company left.

* * *

Bilbo ended up on the cream gelding that didn't mind Galian or the way he moved. Galian's long legs easily kept up with the party, stretched to their fullest as they hadn't been in some years with Forest wanderings aside. He happily trotted ahead to scout, coming back to walk with Bilbo's pony for a few miles before lunging forward again. 

It felt good to stretch his muscles, testing thier limits again as he had before he'd happened upon the Shire. The iron bands coiled and bunched with ease as he dropped back to nose at Bilbo's heel. 

**_You've found someone you like?_** Vincent commented as he awoke. 

**Host Alpha!** Galian happily nuzzled his first Alpha in the mental shared room. **Good Caretaker, helped us on our paws again.**

**_I can see that. What are we doing?_ **

_Apparently we've been volunteered for an... Adventure._ Hellmasker drawled even as Galian nipped at him. 

**_An Adventure._** Vincent didn't sound angry. **_It's... been a while. I'll need to wake up some more but we should start training again in case Galian gets hurt._**

**Agreed.** Chaos scratched just right behind Galian's mental ears and petted Hellmasker's fluttering wings just so before nudging Vincent. **Where is Gigas?**

 **Hibernating! He had lots of fun during Fell Winter in the Shire.** Galian piped up. **Killed all the wolves and orcs and prey to help home~**

 **Ah. A well-deserved rest then. Meeting dismissed, you're falling behind the Company Galian.** Chaos ordered gently. 

**Yes Alpha.** Galian sighed as he caught back up to the pretty cream pony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	9. A Test of Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not abandoned, not dead, just... very very busy! 
> 
> Y'all can thank kalantern for the update. 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

The travel hardened his paw pads and thickened his fur as it was much colder than in the Shire. He nosed the blanket against Bilbo and slept next to him to give off heat. Bilbo's pot always had hare, bird or pieces of Galian's larger kills which meant Galian got introduced to another of the Company. Hovering next to Bilbo's happily burbling pot, a Dwarf had pulled away from the Company's usual encampment. 

Galian pressed more of his weight down and snapped a branch, watching as the Dwarf froze and turned with fear scent. He huffed and padded past the Dwarf with a ptarmigan in his mouth. Galian dropped it next to the Dwarf and looked at him expectantly. 

"Galian, what did you-Oh. Galian," Bilbo chided lightly when he realized what Galian had done. "I'm sorry. He's very protective of me. You are?" 

"I'm Ori, youngest of the Ri brothers. I'm also the recorder of our trip. Would you mind, umm, answering some questions about Hobbits?" Ori asked. "Or perhaps your beast?" 

"I can answer both though Galian's past before the Shire is limited," Bilbo replied easily as he plucked Galian's kill and cleaned it. "Sit, sit. How do you feel about stew?"

* * *

Galian paused before he rushed in to help Bilbo and the Dwarven company. Trolls were enormous, it turned out, and he knew his presence would only aggravate the situation further. Bilbo was doing some fast talking against the eating of the Dwarves. 

He pulled back and went in search of Gandalf, his great strides eating up the distance as he searched. When he stopped, familiar—somewhat dusty—grey robes blocked his way. Galian gave a great bark before tugging on the hem.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Gandalf responded as Galian let go to run back the way he came, relieved to hear Bilbo's voice as he continued talking. 

Galian paced before the sun broke over the hill and turned the smelly creatures into stone. He flew down the hill, knocking Bilbo away from the fire and sniffing him all over to check if he was hurt in any way. He licked until Bilbo laughed, pushing away his muzzle with the scent of mirth still wafting off of him. Galian immediately turned and started freeing the Company of the rope, snapping it easily with his teeth. 

"Where was your beast?" Thorin asked coolly as he rubbed at his arms to regain circulation. "We could have used his help." 

The way he looked down his nose at Bilbo making Galian bare his teeth.

"Galian was retrieving me, Thorin, and not causing more trouble for you in the mean-time. Had he attacked the trolls, you might have been crushed underfoot if the trolls had staggered your way. No, he did what was best, which was let Bilbo use his considerable small-talk skills and distract them enough to allow the sun to rise." Gandalf replied. 

Thorin's expression almost dropped but remained distant. 

Galian sat and waited as the Company and Bilbo dug through the treasures. 

"What in Yavanna's name is that?" Bilbo asked as he picked up—Cerberus! 

He barked again as he dug further into the stash and finding Death Penalty as well. The guns were still gleaming, though covered in less cobwebs than the other weapons. 

"I... I think we might have found something that belonged to Galian's owner," Bilbo murmured as Galian nosed the guns together while being careful of the hammers. "Hold on Galian. I'll make you a harness for them." 

He wagged his tail extra hard, tongue lolling out as Bilbo fashioned a harness out of old leather and braided cording. Bilbo crossed the cording and tied the ends so that they stretched across Galian's wide back. Galian pranced a bit, looking to dislodge the guns and Bilbo ran a piece of cord over them to peace-tie the weapons. 

"His owner must have been quite the weaponsmith," Gandalf murmured thoughtfully.

* * *

Galian shifted in the night, well away from the camp, going from four legs to only two. Vincent stretched, testing his strength here by snapping a branch that he was barely able to close his hand around. It splintered and then shattered, nearly moment for moment the first time he'd touched a tree outside of Nibelheim. 

Here too did he have his strength and magic, though the LifeStream of this place was much wilder, much more chaotic and well suited to his internal companions. His inventory still held his cleaning supplies, which meant that Vincent was pulling maintenance on his guns well into the dawn. He flicked a layer of Shield over the guns as a matter of precaution against rain but allowed Galian to take over again. 

The harness was wiggled into and Galian trotted back into camp, seemingly none the worse for wear as he dropped a rabbit near Ori. He yawned, curling up and napping as Bilbo and Ori talked, sometimes with the white-haired Dwarf joining in for pleasant conversation. 

His head lifted when a hand brushed Cerberus, a growl building low in his chest when he saw it was Thorin. 

"Galian, manners." Bilbo sighed. "He's curious; I daresay we all are." 

"May I?" Gandalf asked and Galian let him, just to see how their magic and that of Arda would react. The Shield sparked and did its job, a thin glowing bubble that protected the guns from touch. They subsided the second Gandalf's fingers stopped touching them. "Hmm. Quite the weaponsmith and perhaps also, one of my own order." 

"A wizard?" 

"Indeed. Power rests in those weapons and in Galian, I think, though to what extent, I cannot say." Gandalf replied. 

Galian stood, shook himself and sniffed the air. The scent of magic, evergreen things and rabbits caught his attention while also putting him on guard. He nudged Bilbo behind him, squaring his stance with his claws flexed. 

What he didn't expect to see was a sled pulled by several sleek and large rabbits. He blinked at that, sat down and nosed at Bilbo as someone dismounted the sled. 

"Gandalf, we must talk." The other wizard, for magic followed him like butterflies in summer, stated solemnly. "It's important." 

"Rhadagast. Come this way, that we may speak in private." 

Rhadagast, however, had paused next to Galian. Bilbo's fingers were wound into his thick fur, scritching ever so gently behind his ears. 

"May I ask how old this beast of yours is, Master...?" 

"Baggins, Bilbo Baggins, sir. Galian has been with me some twenty-two years, though I suspect him to be a little older." Bilbo replied. "He's a very intellegent beast." 

"Hmm. Fit as any animal in it's prime, I'd say, but I met him once. He was hibernating for a good decade or so, last I saw him. He's much older than he looks but whatever keeps him that way carries no evil that I can sense. Wouldn't you agree, Gandalf?" Rhadagast prodded as he offered his hand to Galian. 

Galian painted a long stripe of slobber along it with his tongue just to see the wizard wipe his hand on his robes with a rueful look. 

"No evil, certainly, but the descriptor might be better placed as chaotic in nature." Gandalf admitted with a tiny smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


End file.
